For those of you who have been called an idealist at some point in your life, how did you feel about that label? Did you learn that the world doesn’t work with your ideals and accept that’s just the way it is? Or did you continue to uphold those ideals and walk away from the crowd?

For me, I find it hard to do the former and I don’t think the latter is a great option either. There must be a way to be a practical idealist in this modern world, even though practical idealist sounds like an oxymoron.

Before we can explore what practical idealism really means, we should agree on the definition of idealism first. There seems to be a range of definitions out there, while I agree that idealism exists in the mind and it’s a personal belief of principles, I don’t agree that idealism is necessarily linked to perfection. So for the purpose of this discussion, we will be using the following definition from the Cambridge dictionary.

‘The belief that your ideals can be achieved, often when this does not seem likely to others.’

This leans more towards the epistemology definition of the word, which puts idealism in opposition to realism and that tends to be where idealists are often criticised. Because idealists envision a world that is not consistent with reality, they are often viewed as naive and impractical.

But I don’t think that is necessarily the case. I believe there might be something we can learn from the idealist’s perspective.

The Challenges For An Idealist

Let’s start with the day to day problems that an idealist might face. By definition, idealists are the ones who believe in something that the majority of people don’t. So by extension, they will always be challenging the status quo and at the same time being challenged by the majority.

That constant discontent is strenuous and the most difficult part is the lack of control over our environment. Everyone knows the world is not perfect, and as much as I am an idealist, a perfect world is not what I am after. I just hope to see the world moving in the right direction, but if I cannot even change my immediate environment then all these ideals are just dreams and empty promise. So what does that make me?

Then comes the next challenge of deciding what to do knowing that you might not be able to live your ideals. Choosing between being a discontent idealist who failed to live his ideals and being one who accepted that’s just the way it is is no easy decision to make.

I have been told over and over that I should just accept the fact that there are some things you can’t change, but that’s not something that I can do. The decision was apparent to me because I would rather fail miserably than give up my ideals. That’s just who I am. Perhaps that sense of self identity can be the consolation prize for the emotional hardship to come.

I am sure there are more challenges that an idealist faces but these are the main ones for me. Now knowing a little bit more about the challenges, we should try to unpack the underlying problem with idealism before we try to address it.

The Problem With Idealism

So what’s wrong with idealism? What’s the problem with believing that ideals can and should be lived? Let’s through a few fundamental ‘flaws’ and see if they really hold true.

Firstly, society associates idealism with perfectionism, but they are not the same. Ideals don’t necessarily need to be perfect because perfection is usually not achievable. And, based on the definition from above, ideals can’t be perfect or else there will be little faith in believing that they can be achieved.

For example, I don’t think world peace is an ideal because we know it can’t be achieved, but a world where we can resolve conflicts without violence is an ideal that we can and should strive for. I believe we need to start dissociating idealism with perfectionism because they are not the same.

Secondly, a trickier problem with ideals is that they are subjective. Just because I have my own set of ideals, that doesn’t mean that they are going to be perceived as ideals by others. This makes idealism problematic because even if we can start moving towards a set of ideals, whose ideals should they be?

When different people are trying to achieve their own ideals, we are likely going to have competing views. I believe this problem can only be solved internally and insofar as an individual can influence his own surroundings without affecting others. Idealism can become risky when it goes from an internal quest to an external one. We have seen horrible things happen when someone with an extreme set of ideals tried to enforce that on to others.

Lastly, idealism is often perceived to be in opposition to reality. I don’t believe that’s the case because it’s only with a real grasp of reality that one can come up with things to change.

While most argue that idealism is not practical and it gets in the way of making progress, I would argue that it is simply making progress on a different time scale. I agree that putting ideals first will inevitably slow you down and make you question your immediate actions. But I wouldn’t know what I was working towards if I didn’t have a strong belief in my ideals.

Getting things done is important and I am a big advocate of that but it’s as important if not more to know that we are getting the right things done.

When Idealism Meets Reality

So what does it mean to be a practical idealist? What should an idealist do in this realistic world? I don’t believe there is an easy way out, but I found the following thoughts helpful for me:

Take control of what I can influence. Focus on things that are in my ability to change and try to live my ideals to the best I can

Focus on my own ideals. Focus on what the ideals mean to me and let go of the others, learn that what I think is best might not be the best for others

Think big and act small. Know where the long term goal is and take small steps towards that goal

Find your tribe. Find like-minded people who share your ideals and support each other

Get some perspective. Find others who think differently and try to understand their different perspectives

All of these are easier said than done. I know I have failed to do them far too often. It’s not easy being an idealist, let alone a practical one.

But for those who want to uphold their ideals in this challenging world, I know the challenges and I encourage you to keep at it. I will not let anything discourage me from living my ideals, because they represent an integral part of me.

I am happy to have a set of ideals that I can live by and I will continue to believe in them because that’s what being an idealist is all about.